Murray Wins Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award

By Eric Hollier

Associate Director of Communications

JANUARY 09, 2019

TYLER, Texas — Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray added another trophy to his collection when he was named the winner of the 2018 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award at a banquet Wednesday evening in the hometown of the trophy's namesake.

Named after 1977 Heisman Trophy-winning running back Earl Campbell, the award recognizes the top offensive player in Division I football who also exhibits integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community and tenacity; specifically, tenacity to persist and determination to overcome adversity and injury in pursuit of reaching goals. In addition, winners must meet one or more of the following criteria: born in Texas and/or graduated from a Texas high school and/or played at a Texas-based junior college or four-year college.

“It's a huge honor to win the award named for Earl Campbell, one of the best, if not the best, from Texas to ever play the game of football. He's meant so much to the game,” Murray said. “It's an honor just to be mentioned with the guys that have won this award. It takes a lot of hard work to be here and it's something that I don't take for granted. Winning it and getting to represent my teammates, my family, my coaches and the University of Oklahoma is a huge deal for me, and I hope I did enough to make Sooner nation proud.”

Earl Campbell Award Winners

2018

Kyler Murray

Oklahoma

2017

Baker Mayfield

Oklahoma

2016

D'Onta Foreman

Texas

2015

Greg Ward Jr.

Houston

2014

Trevone Boykin

TCU

2013

Bryce Petty

Baylor

Murray is the second Sooner to win the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, which was established in 2013. Former OU quarterback Baker Mayfield won the award last year.

From Allen, Texas, Murray led the Sooners to a 12-2 record in 2018, a fourth consecutive Big 12 championship, a second straight appearance in the College Football Playoff and a No. 4 final AP ranking.

Murray led the nation in total yards (school-record 5,362), points responsible for (324; tied), yards per pass attempt (FBS-record 11.6) and yards per completion (16.8). He also ranked second in passing efficiency rating (school-record 199.2) and passing touchdowns (42).

The redshirt junior completed 260 of 377 passes this year for 4,361 yards and 42 touchdowns to seven interceptions. He also rushed for 1,001 yards and another 12 scores, becoming just the second player in FBS history to throw for at least 4,000 yards and run for at least 1,000 in a season (Clemson's Deshaun Watson did it in 2015 with 4,109 passing and 1,105 rushing in 15 games).

Murray's 54 total touchdowns in 2018 were the second-most in program history, his 42 passing TDs were third-most in a season at OU and his passing yardage total ranks fifth in school annals. He became the first OU player to ever pass for at least 300 yards and rush for at least 100 yards in a game, and he accomplished the feat three times this season.

Murray is the first FBS player to average at least 300.0 passing yards (311.5) and at least 60.0 rushing yards (71.5) per game for a season. His 5,362 yards of total offense were more than 77 of the country's other 129 teams, including five squads that are ranked in the final AP Top 25 Poll.

Murray threw at least two touchdown passes in 13 of 14 games this season, and threw at least three TD passes in 10 contests. He assembled a school- and Big 12-record streak of eight games with at least three TD passes, and tied a Big 12 record by earning five conference offensive player-of-the-week honors this season. Former Texas running back Ricky Williams also accomplished the feat in his Heisman Trophy-winning season of 1998.

Past winners of the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award are Baylor's Bryce Petty in 2013, TCU's Trevone Boykin in 2014, Houston's Greg Ward Jr. in 2015, Texas' D'Onta Foreman in 2016 and Mayfield in 2017.On Dec. 8, Murray became Oklahoma's seventh Heisman Trophy winner. He was also named AP Player of the Year, Davey O'Brien Quarterback of the Year, Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-American by the AP and FWAA.